TUCSON - At one point late during Arizona’s 45-24 loss to UCLA, when the Wildcats were bereft of players due to injuries and down to a true freshman at quarterback, there was a moment where all UA coach Rich Rodriguez could do is throw his hands up and say “you gotta be kidding me.”
Khalil Tate, that true freshman, was tackled near the sideline, and was slow to get up. Arizona already was without an injured Anu Solomon at quarterback, and Brandon Dawkins left the game early with a rib injury. After walk-on Zach Werlinger struggled, the Wildcats decided to burn Tate’s intended redshirt for this season and insert him into the game.